“The first challenge ahead is to start thinking as a government. Following 25 years in opposition, we criticised and talked; now we must act, think and decide as a government by implementing our pledges,” said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the closing of the PL annual general conference this morning.

Addressing the mentality of the party and the movement is very important because “we no longer have the comfort of being in opposition”.

Without arrogance, in consultation and with decisiveness, we must show this movement is the “natural government” for the coming years.

Perhaps some people in the party are missing being in opposition but this is not the case with him. “Today is not the point of arrival but the point of departure of a much larger project,” he said.

He insisted the election was a point of departure which needs to be put behind. The party must think that it only has a one seat majority (when in actual fact it has nine) to continue being relevant, achieve its aims and accept the weight of taking decisions as a government. It is where the buck stops.

It must create employment, address issues in our healthcare systems, social housing, and create employment for Gozitans in Gozo.

He added that the election was not won by the party but by the movement. No one using past systems could achieve such a result. This must continue and the movement must remain close to people.

In June, all ministers and parliamentary secretaries will be holding public meetings to be able to keep contact with people and so that no one is closed in an “ivory tower”. This will take place every six months.

“We need to remember that five years ago I came before you with a project related to winning an election but it was a project on leading the island forward. We challenged the traditional way politics was done. It was a style of politics based on tribalism and people’s faces rather than abilities. We identified the signs of the times… we changed and were changed. A movement that has no borders and which welcomed new people as well as old ones was created. But this is not enough. We need to challenge ourselves even further and go for farther limits”.

He said Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella encouraged him to move forward, and people in the PN also inspired him, including George Borg Olivier and Eddie Fenech Adami. Dom Mintoff – a point of reference for national freedom. Over the past five years he worked freely, without any interference from his predecessor Alfred Sant, who gave his absolute loyalty.

The conference marked the close of his first five years at the party’s helm and the beginning of the next five years during which he needs the party and its members much more than in the past.

Dr Muscat continued this is the 35th anniversary of Freedom Day and he believes that by the 50th anniversary of Independence, next year, the island should be united and celebrate the two occasions.

The government has no time to waste and is conscious of the 60 months ahead to implement its programme. Problems exist but the government has solutions and will focus on what is positive.

Discussing the energy plan, he noted he is even more confident now that the energy plan will be successful. Although the government found a higher deficit than what the previous administration was talking about, it is committed to reduce it below 3% by the end of the year.

It will also kick start the economy by opening two casinos, including one in Gozo, launch the cruise liner terminal project for Gozo and launch the expression of interest for regeneration of the ship building area in the Grand Harbour and land reclamation.

Over the past weeks, the government worked behind the scenes with investors for projects that have been in the pipeline for years to take off. It is about having proposals submitted, assessing them and taking decisions with responsibility not put off decisions because these are difficult to take.

He announced that by the end of May, the government will be launching afresh the permanent residence scheme by which many foreigners were investing in property on the island.

He quoted a foreign investor on the very strong regulations and clear cut decisions for investors especially in financial services and a totally unacceptable situation by which visas are not issued

“How can you send someone who is investing millions to wait in a queue in the sun for their visas?” he asked.

Citizenship, visas, and residency matters will be elevated to an authority that will give attention to business matters for Maltese and foreigners alike, he announced. The government will be business friendly and will create employment feely to give the island what it deserves.

A Commissioner for the Simplification of Administrative Procedures will be appointed in the coming weeks and will have a clear and unequivocal mandate from the people to cut extra bureaucracy, he said. 

In Europe too, the wind is changing in favour of economic growth, he contnued. The rules for austerity measures, which have been implemented over the past years, have clearly failed so fresh action is necessary.

He also said the government will be fighting precarious employment especially in the security sector, cleaning services and care workers. It will also legislate in favour of civil rights without hesitation.

Moreover, the Courts will be supreme over church authorities although the two can work together.

Confident of the people’s and party members’ trust, the government will listen, work and implement. Although the things that have not been carried out in 25 years are still not solved, he said solutions will be found.

Leader Joseph Muscat was confirmed with 97.3% of votes.